Joe
by dancingpixie
Summary: POST Fetal Position The man that Cameron fell in love with as he husband was dying comes to the PPTH with a mysterious lump. Cameron is forced to face not just this old love but her feelings for Chase.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Notes: 

_I gave Joe a last name and invented one for Cameron's husband. While I tried to make the medicine feel real, I am not an expert in medicine and don't pretend to be._

_I have trouble proof reading my own work so I apologise for any errors. If you find any mistakes please let me know and I will fix them straight away._

_I love getting feedback so reviews are more then welcome._

**Chapter 1: Joe**

The funny thing about falling in love with someone is the power they have over you for years after. You won't think about them for weeks, even months, and then all of sudden you run into them on the street and your pulse races, your stomach goes queasy and you forget how to move. You thought you were completely over them, insensitive to their charms and with one glance they steamroll you all over again. And boy had she been steamrolled…

These thoughts ran through Cameron's head as she splashed water on her face in the ladies room in an attempt pull herself together. She could do this. This was going to be okay.

Today has started out completely normal (odd that she now thought diagnosing bizarre and rare diseases as normal), House had her and Foreman running every test known to man on a young high school cheerleader who had collapsed at practice. Everyone was convinced the girl was clean of drugs and toxins but House wasn't so sure. Cameron wasn't feeling too stressed about the whole thing, the girl's life wasn't in danger, the biggest risk at the moment was ensuring that they didn't miss anything. Even better then dealing with a patient that wasn't living on borrowed time, was that she and Chase had a date lined up tonight. Well not really a date, more like a pre-sex meal. Their relationship was exactly what see needed at the moment, commitment free, stress free, just quite a lot of 'sex-that-didn't-suck'. Things were good, or at least they were at 10:56am.

10:57 turned out to be a completely different matter.

She had been happy even when the administrative assistant knocked on her door and to tell her that she had a call waiting for her. She wasn't even thinking about what the call could be when she picked it up, "Dr. Cameron here."

"Allie, it's Samantha." Instantly Cameron knew something was wrong. And it was not just that it one of her best friends was calling her from work. It was the tone, a half-hysterical, half-together tone that Cameron knew all to well.

"What's the matter?" Cameron said quickly, with hundreds of horrible scenarios running through her mind.

"Joe collapsed at work today, complaining of shooting pains. And they found a lump on his neck…"Sam broke down fully then, sobbing into the phone. If it hadn't been for the wall holding her up, Cameron would have fallen straight to the floor. Joe might have cancer…Joe, the husband of her best friend…Joe, the best friend of her husband…Joe, the man she had fallen in love with during those horrible months that she watched Mike fade away.

Cameron attempted to say something soothing into the phone, "It might not be malignant Sam. Are you having him brought to PPTH? I know a good oncologist here…This is going to be okay."

Sam tried to pull herself together on the other end of the line, "That's why I am calling," her voice began to break up at the end of the line, "They are rushing him to the hospital in an ambulance right now, the pain just keeps on getting worse."

Cameron wasn't quite sure how see made it to the Emergency Ward so fast. She might have run, snippets of staircases flitter through her head. She was just racing in when the ambulance arrived. The stretcher was pulled in, and for a minute it looked like just another patient. As it wheeled closer the patient came into view, the man in the stretcher was tall, almost to big for the stretcher, with chestnut hair and a dimple on the side of his smile that you might miss if your didn't look closely. Sitting up straighter, he stunned the whole emergency ward by shooting out, "Damn woman, you still look like sex on legs!"

And she was steamrolled.


	2. Chapter 2 SoL

**Chapter 2: SoL**

Sex-on-legs. That was what Mike jokingly called her when they were first married and he was coherent enough to joke and energetic enough to want to make love to her. Joe has picked up on it quickly and since then only referred to her as SoL .

She had been grinned right back when Joe had called her by her 'full name' in the emergency ward, "Thanks for the complement, but what would Sam say?" Walking over she gave him a quick kiss on the check, "How you doing, Joe?"

"Well I feel fine, but I doubt that wouldn't be lasting long with you doctors wanting to turn me into some kinda voodoo doll."

"That's only if you don't behave." Cameron winked at him, Joe always brought out her silly side. At that very moment, her beeper went off, flashing '911' which was House's call for her to run to their office. For a split second she considered defying him, but seeing Joe assured her that he wasn't on death's door. Giving Joe another kiss she said, "I gotta run but I will find you later. And try not to pinch to many nurses bums."

She was the last one to slide into the room and House, Foreman and Chase were all debating in front of the white board. 'Cheerleader-girl took a turn for the worse?" Cameron asked.

"Nah…she will be fine. New case." House mumbled as he munched on animal crackers, "Guy-with-lump-on-neck…Joe something."

"It's cancer." Cameron stated trying not to reveal the emotions inside of her by flipping through Joe's chart.

"You mean that you have been hiding a psychic talent all of this time Cameron?! Quick, what number am I thinking now?" Grabbing Joe's chart out of her hands, House scanned it. "It also says here that this guy is allergic to solvents and works outside. Don't judge Cameron, stereotyping lumps isn't cool."

"This guy has thyroid cancer." Cameron stated flatly.

Intrigued, Foreman turned away from the white board and looking questioningly as Cameron, "And how do you know?"

Cameron looked down at the table, she could keep herself together, "All the classic signs are there: large bump on the neck, symptoms similar to hyperthyroidism such as tremors, weight loss and concentration issues."

"Except this guy was rushed to hospital with extreme pain," Chase commented, leaning back into his chair, still staring at the white board.

"Pain being another classic symptom of thyroid cancer! As is the change in voice." Cameron tried to continue to treat this like any other case, just another 'guy'.

"The problem being that this guy is complaining of pain all over, not just in his throat," House interrupted beginning to write that on the board and then stopped suddenly and turned to Cameron, "Wait, how do you know his voice changed? That wasn't in the doctor's notes."

When Cameron was a loss for words, House started to walk towards her, "And why are you soon keen to give him the very disease that your hubby died a painful death from? You know this guy," House was right in her face but waving towards the white board as it if were Joe. Attempting to avoid House's glare, Cameron glanced between Foreman who looked interested and intrigued to Chase…who's faced revealed things that she wasn't ready to deal with. There was no escape.

"Joe was Mike's best friend." Cameron paused, "The two of them grew up together and must have been exposed to the same things that caused Mike's cancer."

In any other group such a revelation would have create at least a momentary silence, but not with House. "Well, cancer as also passed down GE-NE-TI-CA-LY, and since we know SO much about your hubby's non-existent family we are going to also explore the route that something else might be causing the lump and his pain."

"And ignore the most obvious diagnosis?" Cameron questioned.

"There isn't an obvious diagnosis yet. Since the two of you already have a bond, go get a full medical history from this guy. I want to know everything."

"But we could be wasting time!" Cameron protested.

"Then do it quickly. Now be gone!"


	3. Chapter 3 Intimacy

**Chapter 3: Intimacy **

It was a well know fact in the hospital that Dr Chase knew Dr Cameron on a very intimate level. But as Chase adjusted Lump-Guy's pain-killers whole new sides to Cameron were being revealed to him.

Gone was Cameron's professional demeanour and earnestness. She was sitting on the patient's bed, actually giggling with him, half-heartedly getting his medical background. "Seriously, Joe. I need you to answer these questions so we can figure out what is wrong."

"Listen Sol, you know everything about me. We practically lived out of each others pockets for a while. But I am not telling you the last time I shat."

"You used to." Cameron smiled doing a fake pout. Chase tried to look like he wasn't listening to it, but was drawn to the conversation. This guy had a nickname for Cameron?

Joe attempted to laugh and winced in pain, throwing his head back on the pillow. Cameron sat up startled, causing Chase to focus on adjusting the machines monitoring the pain medication.

Grabbing out towards Cameron, Joe continued, "Distract me. We were talking about how I used to tell you my bathroom routines."

Interested to see Cameron's reaction to this reliance on her, Chase turned towards her. Cameron continued on as if nothing had happened, "We can move on to sexual history if that would be less awkward?"

Glancing over to Chase, Joe chuckled, "This girl never skips a beat, I remember when Mike was first hospitalised she would spend all day with her nursing him, then spend all night studying and still have enough energy to tell me that I wasn't eating enough vegetables."

Blushing, Cameron half smiled, "You weren't."

Suddenly there were interrupted with a high-pitched child cry, "Daddy! Auntie Allie! Daddy!!!!" Out of no where a small, brown-haired munchkin came running into the room.

Scooping the child, Cameron gave her a big hug, "How are you doing Sophie? Being a good girl for your mum?"

"Yup!" Sophie smiled and then frowned, "Is daddy going to be okay?"

A flicker of something, Chase wasn't sure what, flashed across Cameron's face. "We are going to do our best."

A frazzled blonde woman followed the little girl in the room, "Joe! We came as soon as I picked up Sophie from pre-school. How are you feeling?"

"I've been better babe. But Sol is going to look after me. She knows the last time I shat."

Rolling her eyes at Chase and Cameron, the woman gave Cameron a big hug. "I can't tell you how much it relieved me to know that you are here." The two women seem to cling to each other for a moment before letting go. Taking a deep breath, the blonde know turned to Chase and extended her hand, "Sorry, I should have introduced myself, I'm Samantha, Joe's wife. And this is our daughter Sophie."

Smiling Chase shook the woman's hand, "Nice to meet you. We are going to do all that we can to try to determine what your husband illness is."

"You mean? There might be a chance that it isn't cancer?" Samantha looked surprised.

"They don't know anything yet." Joe answered, "No point leaping to conclusions."

Finished adjusting the morphine drip, Chase was confident that Joe was going to be fine for another few hours at least. Waving good bye, he let Cameron finish the medical background check.

It was about half-hour later when he was filling out charts that Samantha took him by surprise. Truth be told he wasn't really filling out medical charts, he was watching Cameron and Joe chat in the hospital room, both of their faces were lit up, laughing but also just happy to be in each other's company. He had never seen Cameron like that, never been able to make her smile like that. Samantha knocked him out of his reverie by tapping him on his shoulder. Nearly jumping out his skin he knocked his coffee to the ground. "Oh, I am so sorry…I didn't mean to interrupt you!"

Picking up the pieces of his coffee cup, he attempted a smile, "No, it is my fault, my mind was else were."

"Is now a bad time then? I just wanted to have a chat…"

Looking her straight in the eyes he managed to give her a genuine smile, "No, now is fine."

"I am worried about Allie...I mean Doctor Dr Cameron...well you know." She looked room were Cameron and Joe were chatted.

"Dr Cameron is a professional; she handles patients on a regular basis, many of whom are considerably sicker then your husband."

"But this is different. I mean you must know about Mike?"

Chase nodded, although in honest truth he barely knew anything about the man that Cameron had married. Sam continued, not really talking to him as much as to the hospital room where her husband sat. "I never knew Mike, but I know that Allie loved him and how much his death took out of her. She is good at keeping it all inside, but every once and a while a crack will appear on that calm surface. She told me once that watching him in pain wasn't the worst of it. Watching him fade away, slowly losing the ability to walk, feed himself, so drugged up that he didn't remember her was what where the real suffering was. Mike didn't die instantly; it was a long tortuous months before he slipped away."

Chase watched Cameron share another joke with Sophie and Joe, "She rarely speaks of it."

"I don't blame her. Joe was so proud that she was able to move on and create a new life for herself." Sam just looked at him, "You know that I am not talking to you because you are just her colleague right?"

"No, no our relationship isn't like that," Chase tried to avoid the women's penetrating looks, " It's just…well…um, I don't know what she told you."

"I am not asking for details. All I know is that I am scared out of my mind right now, but I know that there is no way I am as scared as Allison is. Because she _knows _what a cancer diagnosis means and I can only imagine."

And with that they both went back to watching Joe's hospital room and the two individuals inside.


	4. Chapter 4 Hope

**Chapter 4: Hope**

"…and he doesn't appear to be responding to hyperthyroid medication. Which means… House didn't get a chance to finish his thought as Cameron interrupted him almost shooting, "Cancer!"

Both Chase and Foreman were surprised by the force of her statement, while there was often intense debate around the whiteboard, they rarely yelled. "All of the symptoms are there. Plus there is the amazing coincidence that his best friend died of the disease. Joe Connell has thyroid cancer, which may or may not be curable depending on whether we treat to it soon enough. This debate is serving NO purpose except to be intellectual masturbation for you!!!"

House smiled at Cameron's outburst, "Someone got their panties in a knot? Not everybody gets the same death sentence, and as Lump-Guy also has a Lump-Wife and Lump-Daughter I thought it would awesome find out what is causing his debilitating pain. Foreman, I want you to do an MRI, see if you can figure out what is going on in this guy's skull."

Cameron's response was if all of the energy had been sapped right out of her. Her tone was virtually without emotion, she just slowly and softly articulated each word, "You are not allowed to do this to me House. You can't give me this sort of hope." She paused and looked him unflinchingly in the eye, "No matter how many tests we run the answer is all going to be the same, and Joe is going to die. You can't taunt me with the chance that the outcome might be different."

With that, she picked up her coffee and left the room.

* * *

Her body seemed detached from her mind, detached from the world around her. One though focused her: treating her patients. Blood-tests needed to be done, MRIs, or anything other range of experiments. Checking her watch, she realised that she was due for clinic duty.

It was Wilson who found her at the end of her shift. Without speaking he led her to his office, gave her a fresh cup of coffee and sat down beside her, "I have ordered a biopsy to be done on Joe. It is scheduled in about an hour, Chase is going to do it."

"Good," Cameron nodded, "Chase is a good at biopsies."

Wilson rubbed his face and then looked up at her, "This more then just about the possibility that Joe might have thyroid cancer isn't it? You were in love with him."

"I told you I was." Cameron stared at the cup of coffee.

"You also told me that you never acted on it." Wilson answered in an equally even tone, "It must be painful to have him around here – with his wife."

"With his wife." Cameron almost giggled. "I love Sam. I mean how can you not? And Joe adores her. But he reignites the bit of me that was 21 and a hopeless romantic."

Leaning over Wilson asked sympathetically, "Are you still in love with him?"

"No, not any more. Well, at least I didn't think I was. I am not sure…," Cameron buried her head in her hands, "I was madly in love with Mike. He made me feel safe and special and loved. But near the end he wasn't Mike any more, he was a shell. And then Joe would call me by the same nicknames and make the same kind of stupid jokes. The bit of me fell in love with my husband reached out to Joe… Seeing him is like being around Mike again. And I miss Mike so much sometimes."

Wilson didn't try to say anything else and let her finish her coffee in silence.


	5. Chapter 5 Next of Kin

**Chapter 5: The Next of Kin**

In a hospital is easy to recognise the amateurs from the professionals when it comes to next-of-kin. Amateurs huddle around a loved ones bed as if merely looking at the patient will inspire health. They stand up when doctors enter the room. Professionals carry books, magazines and bring their own coffee. They address nurses by name and aren't phased by even the scariest looking needle. But all of that is just superficial when it comes to the biggest reveal: waiting for test results. Amateurs pace and anxiously check their watches, professionals sit in the chairs reading, sleeping or just staring into space.

Cameron was a professional. Or at least she had been.

She never thought that she would be in the position again, getting ready to sit for hours in the uncomfortable plastic chairs in the oncology ward for a test result. But Sam had to go home, Sophie was getting fussy and needed to put to bed. She hadn't wanted to go and so Cameron had given her an extra hug and promised that she "would stay and wait". The urgency of the results (and fear of House) had inspired the technicians to work in late this evening to get the answer but it would still be hours before they knew.

So she stood there and looked at the plastic grey chairs. Could she do it again? Sit here, alone, waiting for some sympathetic doctor to read a computer print out?

The ward was beginning to get quiet, families going home and patient drifting off to sleep. The night staff were on duty now.

Taking a deep breath Cameron walked towards the waiting room and sat down in the chair. She had waited dozens of times before, no reason to become an amateur all over again.

* * *

House, Foreman and Chase were all on their way out of the hospital when they crossed through the oncology ward to pick up Wilson. They almost didn't notice Cameron sitting in the waiting room, head in hands.

Noticing Chase she sat up startled, "Oh! I just remembered that we had dinner scheduled for tonight. It is going to have bee a rain check, Sam had to go home so I said that I would wait for Joe's results. Get them hot of the press." She attempted a smile and failed.

He had completely forgotten the dinner as well and tried to look understanding, "No worries, we will reschedule later."

"Since Wilson has _finally_ gathered all of his girly things, can we go now?" House looked impatient.

The four men turned all headed for the elevator in silence. Looking at the lights elevator Chase was mentally kicking himself. "No worries?" What the hell kind of comment was that? All day he had been floundering trying to figure how to act, what to say to Cameron. They were just sexual partners right? He had no obligation to do boy-friend type things. What balanced their weird relationship was to his keep feelings for her secret and not to scare her away.

The elevator made another ding as it climbed a floor.

And he decided to screw the balance.

Slowly he turned around and walked towards to Cameron. It was one of those incredibly clear moments in life when you don't know why the answer is right, you simply know that it is.

Wilson and Foremen were about to get on the elevator when House stopped then, "This is gonna get good."

* * *

Wordlessly Chase sat down in the chair beside her and took her hand. At first she didn't know how to process it. Was he mad at her for cancelling their dinner date? What was going on?

"It is going to be a while for they get the results." Cameron tried not to look at him.

Casually Chase answered, "Didn't think that they were any reason for you to wait here all by yourself." Shifting, he sighed, "These chairs are incredibly uncomfortable."

She was stunned.

She wasn't alone. Chase was going to sit with her.

She wasn't going to face this great black whole of 'unknowing' all by herself again.

She wasn't alone.

Almost involuntarily she began to sob. All day she had been constructing a wall against her emotions, preventing her self from dealing with her fears, worries and just the spectrum of feelings of Joe and Mike. The sobs racked out of her, shaking her whole body, she could barely breathe, move or even think.

But she wasn't alone. Chase's arms wrapped around her and pulled her toward him. He didn't try to talk to her and merely let her shake. She tried to stop, get control of herself but it didn't stop. "Shhhhhh" the soft Australian voice whispered in her ear, and stroked her hair.

House grinned and Wilson and Foreman, "Told ya!"

* * *

She stopped crying at some point, and then just lay there in his embrace in the uncomfortable chairs. Neither one of them spoke for a long time.

At some point her entire left side when numb and she moved around. Chase shifted with her, and noticing she was cold tucked his jacket around her. "This has been a long day for you, fall asleep, I will stay awake."

Cameron was going to protest but then she looked up at him. That same expression of love and affection that she couldn't deal with earlier today was still there. Only now she wasn't so scared of it. Smiling to herself, she curled into the crook of her arm, "Good night Robert"

She was always half asleep when she heard his reply, "Sleep well Allison."


	6. Chapter 6 Numb

_Author's Note: The original plan was for this story to just end at chapter 5. However, I felt that there was a bit more to add and hopefully the new extended story feels like there is a more organic ending. _

**Chapter 6: Numb**

Chase couldn't feel his left leg. Or really his entire left side to be really honest. He was also tried, hungry and really needed a shower.

But he was also more content than he had been for a long time.

Cameron lay in his arms, curled up in his jacket softly sleeping. Normally she seemed larger then life, fully capable to go round for round with Foreman, House and himself. But wrapped up in his arms she realised how small she was.

The sex that they had was incredible. Mind-blowing really. But Chase had never let himself believe that their relationship could be anything more. He was microwave pizza, good and convenient but a substitute for something better. Not a meal that was going to give you everything you needed.

Rubbing his face with his hands he realised that me must be more tried then he thought, taking his metaphors too far again.

Nevertheless, he had thrown the carefully constructed balance of 'co-workers-with-benefits' out of the window. And now, just like what he and Cameron were doing, he was waiting for the results of this test.

The lab tech walked slowly down the hall towards them and then faster as he realised that they were waiting for him. Despite the fact that this man worked the later shift, Chase knew him. "Those are the results?" Not wanting to wake Cameron yet, Chase hadn't moved and remained sprawled over the chairs with, Cameron tucked in the crook of his arm.

"I was told to give them to Doctor Cameron," The lab tech looked nervously from Chase to Cameron and back again. He and Cameron never acted very couple-like in the hospital, never any of those 'accidental' brushes or half flirting, clearly the fact that they were doing so now was freaking the guy out. Chase decided to play it cool. "I will wake her up and give it to her." The guy passed paused for a moment and then passed Chase the envelope. "Thanks, mate."

Chase stared at it as he flipped it around in his hands. He knew what House would do in this situation, in fact what House had done; he would open the envelope and go from there. But Chase wasn't House, and he didn't want to be. Reaching over to her should, Chase shook Cameron awake. "Hey, the results are in."

Stirring Cameron looked up at him, "What are they?"

Wordlessly he passed over the envelope. She wasn't sure whether it was the surreality of the situation, or the fact that she was had just woken up from a sound sleep but she was completely calm as she opened it. Whatever will be, will be at the moment she just wanted an answers. She read through the entire print out and turned to Chase. "The tumour is benign. It's not cancer."

* * *

Wilson followed House back out to his motorcycle. The scene they had just witnessed made him feel voyeuristic in a way. Chase's supportive gesture and Cameron's complete breakdown were so uncharacteristic of either one of them that it was like they had just witnessed something fare more intimate.

Breaking his own silence Wilson turned to House, "I think we all have this inverted."

House seemed to barely listening as he turned on his motorcycle. "What?"

Wilson learned against one of the light posts illuminated the dark parking lot. "We all assumed that Chase was leading Cameron on. That she had fallen for him and he was using her. We all assumed that he was as much of an ass as you are."

House still wasn't focused on their conversation, "He is. Well just about, I think you may be setting the bar a little high."

Wilson smiled as his friend, "How much is it going to screw up your department if Chase gets his heat broken and not Cameron?"

That got House's attention, "Not going to happen. Even if what you are saying is true Cameron will fall for Chase and it will end painfully. That girl can only handle pain and suffering. Look at her reaction to this patient."

Wilson laughed, "The problem is, House, that they all try to become you. They all fight their damnedest to be as hard and rational as you are. They all want to prove to each other that they don't care. Not about the patients, not about their colleagues and especially not about each other. But they do."

"You think I'm being a bad daddy?" House did a mock quivering lip.

"I didn't say that," answered Wilson, "I am just saying that I doubt Chase is a much as a hard – ass as he pretends to be."

"Does this insight have a point?" demanded House tapping his watch, "Because the L-word is about to start."

Sighing Wilson began to walk to towards his own vehicle, "I guess not."


	7. Chapter 7 Stuff

**Chapter 7: Stuff**

The team was sat around the metal table in their office, all staring at the white board of doom. Beyond the title of "Lump-guy" and the word cancer with a big line through it there wasn't much on the board. Chase tried his best to avoid looking at Cameron who hadn't really spoken to him since last night. Rubbing his temples he tried to understand how one night of her sleeping in his arms could make things more awkward between them then weeks of sex.

House alternated between taping the floor with his cane and the board with the marker. This case was beginning to drive everyone crazy. His team was never at a loss of ideas but here they were sitting in quiet. With the exception of the cancer test the other results hadn't given them anything. They hadn't just been negative, most had been inconclusive. "This guy came in with shooting pain up and down his body and a lump in his neck. Now he is almost being fuelled by morphine because of the pain. Come on team! Don't you have anything to give me beyond cancer?"

"His allergy tests were inconclusive, should we be looking at infections?" suggested Foreman without much enthusiasm.

"The tests were inconclusive? Doesn't think strike any one else as really odd?," House responded sarcastically, "Do them again!!" Dismissing them with his hand he motioned towards the door. "Do a lumbar puncture, see what is going on in his nervous system."

* * *

Chase tried to keep up with Cameron as they walked down the hallway but she seemed like she was deliberately ignoring him. Frustrating he grabbed her elbow and pulled her in the stairwell. "Can you stop avoiding me? What is going on?"

Cameron tried to look him straight in the eye, "I am not avoiding you. I am focused on the patient."

Chase leaned against the wall and crossed his arms. Cameron tried to stare him down and then gave in, "Look, can we talk about this later? I am just overwhelmed with Joe and all of this at the moment."

For a moment it didn't look like he was going to buy her explanation but then he uncrossed his arms. "Sure, we will talk about it later. Just stop pretending that I don't exist."

* * *

Her conversation with Chase had left Cameron shaken. She had been honest at the moment she couldn't what was emerging between her and Chase. She had to just stay focused on Joe, on her doing her job. On being rational.

"Hey Sol!" called out Joe as she entered the room with Chase and Forman.

Instantly she put on her best face for Joe, the last thing she wanted to do was scare him. "How you doing? Feeling relieved about the test results, I bet."

"It would be even better if you stopped the pain," spoke Joe nervously as Chase and Foreman walked around his bed and looked at his chart. "Are you going to take poke me around some more?"

"Fraid so," Cameron tried to reassure him, "But it might allow us to get a better sense of what is going on." She sat down on the chair beside the bed, such that he faced her as Foreman got ready for the puncture.

Joe sucked in a deep gush of air as Foreman stuck him with another needle, "You know that I have an awesome garage don't you?"

Cameron looked him with an amused look on his face, "I can see where this is going…"

"Because I was just lying here thinking about all of the great things I could do with that space if it wasn't filled your stuff. At the moment I am torn between indoor miniature golf or a massive workshop."

Cameron could tell that Joe was trying to distract himself from the pain of the puncture, and offered her hand for him to squeeze, "I told you, once I get a bigger place that stuff will be gone."

"And we both know that is bullshit," Another pause and breath as he was stuck with another needle, "That stuff is the things from your marriage to Mike. You are not dealing with it."

"I am dealing with it! I've moved on. I've gone to medical school, made friends. I even date."

Joe rolled his eyes, "Don't get me wrong, you've done awesome. But you chose a job that was all consuming. Your friends are your co-workers, you romantic life happens in the hospital. And I still have a garage full of your stuff."

Cameron tried to ignore his remarks, "And what is the point of this conversation, other then to distract you from needles?"

Sighing with relief that Foreman was done, Joe shifted around in the bed and smiled at her with a massive grin. "I am going to help you clean house."

* * *

Chase and Forman were quietly eating lunch when Cuddy and Wilson burst into the diagnostic's discussion room. Looking at each other and then the completely surprises Foreman and Chase both of them started to speak. Finally Cuddy was able to get a sentence out, "What is going on here? Who called us here?"

"Don't worry it is nothing scary urgent," piped up a voice from behind her.

Turning around Joe was standing in the hallway holding on to his IV pole. Cuddy started to speak but Joe cut her off. "I got Allison to call you here. We need your help."

"You really shouldn't be walking around Mr. Connell," Cuddy said ignoring his explanation.

"Don't worry, the Australian pumped me full of some awesome painkillers so I should be good for another little while." Looking beyond them through the glass walls of the roon Joe gestured to some men carrying brown cardboard boxes.

"But why do you need our help?" asked Wilson, "You don't get to be part of your own diagnosis!"

"I need you to keep me rational," spoke Cameron, sliding into the room after Joe. "I've..I'm…I've never sorted through stuff from my marriage." She took a deep breath and continued, "I've decided that it is going to be like tearing off a bandage – best done quickly and without sentimentality. I have never been able to look at these boxes without sobbing, but if I do it in this room with all of you rational, objective people around I think I can keep myself together."

"If not I guess it will be amusing for the rest of us to watch." House walked into the room from his office.

After a pause, Joe assumed that everyone was on board with his mission. Gesturing towards Chase he asked, "Can you grab one of the boxes from out side?"

Chase slide the box down to the end of the table where Joe was standing, and Cameron took a seat the other end. House remained at the back from the room while Foreman, Chase, Cuddy and Wilson stood around the table, give Joe and Cameron both support and some space. Joe pulled the box toward him, "There are three options here: garbage, keep and goodwill. I'll throw stuff in the appropriate pile. Ready? This box is labelled 'wedding'."

Closing her eyes, Cameron took a deep breath "Go!"

Joe ripped open the box and begin lifting things out and holding them out Cameron like an auctioneer.

"Extra – wedding invitations?"

Her eyes snapped open, "Garbage"

"Dorky wedding bells decorations?"

"Garbage"

"Never used potato ricer that was a gift from your Aunt Sally?"

"Goodwill."

"Photos that didn't turn out?"

"Garbage"

"Caterer's menus?"

"Garbage…no wait... They were good…Keep."

"Mike's suit."

Cameron froze for a moment. There was pause as each of the doctors in the room all glanced at each. Slowly Wilson stepped forward, "It's in good condition, no reason to throw it out." Looking up at him thankfully Cameron smiled, "Goodwill then." She was back in the game.

They were on to the second box, this one labelled 'Mike's stuff'

"His text books"

"Good will"

Foreman interrupted, "They might be out of date. Call first to see if they are even worth donating."

Joe nodded and put them in a separate pile.

"His music?"

"Throw it all out except the mix tapes."

"Posters from his frat house."

"Garbage."

Quickly they worked through two more of the Mike's boxes, going through his clothes, and other personal items. Foreman suggested a good local charity that might need the clothes and Cuddy offered to sort though the boxes of fiction books that Mike loved. Wilson volunteered much useful advice when it came to unused wedding presents, claiming much practical experience as a result of the three marriages. For the most part Cameron was able to keep herself together. Seeing the dorky sweater he always used to wear made her waiver (voted too raggedy even for the goodwill and thrown out), it was painful to deal with his sports equipment (goodwill) and a few tears slide down her cheek when her wedding dress was unpacked (something she decided to keep on Cuddy's encouragement).

Joe glanced at his watch, "We are making impressive time, if you wouldn't mind me holding your attention for a little bit longer we just finish off the last box."

"Because it is not like we have people to heal or anything?" House was still in the back of the room having stayed completely out of the debate.

Joe ignored him and pulled up the last box. Much smaller then the others, in big block letters the word "FUTURE' was written on the front. "This one is going to be tough."

Reaching he pulled out the first item, "Mike's applications for grad school."

"G..garbage." Cameron was beginning to freeze again.

"Two pairs of ballroom dance shoes and registration for classes."

"Goodwill."

"Maps of the areas where you wanted to buy a house."

She hiccupped as if trying to cover a sob, "Garbage."

"Really awesome lingerie"

Cameron blushed slightly, "uh…throw out. I've gained weight since I was 21"

"Baby clothes and book of baby names."

Cameron couldn't speak; she looked like deer in headlights staring at the tiny clothes and book. No one knew what do say. This was no longer dealing with the remnants of life cut cruelly short but getting rid of the dreams of two people who hoped in vain for a life together.

Suddenly a cane came crashing down on the table, knocking Cameron out of her reverie. "The book should go to the goodwill. The clothes should be kept – you are going to start having friends who are having babies and it will save you from having to buy lots of baby shower gifts." House spoke calmly and rationally.

Taking a ragged breath, Cameron looked back up at the objects and nodded.

Joe looked up at her and scanned over the piles of clothes, books, empty boxes and miscellanea around them. "We're done. Mike would be proud. Now if you don't mind, I think I am about to pass out."


	8. Chapter 8 Steamrolled

**Chapter 8: Steamrolled**

Chase wheeled Joe back to his room in silence. Luckily the tall man luckily hadn't fainted until they got him in the wheel chair but it had been a close call. With the help of the nurses Chase was able to Joe back into his bed and began to re-adjust the monitors. He shouldn't be this tried, or requiring as much pain medication as they were pumping into him. Cameron might be relieved that it wasn't cancer but Chase was becoming increasingly worried about the state that Joe was in.

The man rolled his head towards Chase, "So. You're sleeping with her?"

Chase nearly dropped the IV bag that he was hanging up. "Sorry?! What?"

"Sam figured it out, or Allie told her, I am not sure. Anyways, you're Allie's new guy."

Chase decided to be honest with his patient for once, "It's not really a relationship per say, more of just a convenience at the moment."

Joe laughed, "Let me guess, Allie's idea?"

This guy had been around them for less then a week and had already picked up the key element of their relationship that Foreman, Cuddy and Wilson had all missed. Chase rubbed his jaw, "Yeah it was."

"You would have been crazy turn her down," Joe answered honestly, "She just has now idea how hot she is." He then paused wincing in pain and began to rub the lump his neck, "This had got to be awkward for you."

"What do you mean?" Chase asked, flipping through Joe's chart and checking his temperature levels.

"Having Allie reliving all the crap she went through with Mike, bringing up all of the old relationships, having me around again."

Chase let the chart rest against the bed, "I'm microwave pizza for Cameron, convenient and easy. I am not even in the race."

"But you didn't say anything when we were dealing with the stuff." Joe pointed out.

Chase got ready to leave the room, "I didn't have much to say." He paused hesitating for a moment, "And my answers were going to be biased. I want to be part Allison's new future."

Joe nodded, "It's gonna be a tough fight. Which is partly my fault I guess. Allie and I grew close when Mike was dying. Too close really. I didn't handle it well, I just sort of left when Mike died. But I think you would be good for her."

Acknowledging the other man's advice, Chase nodded left the room. From across the hallway, he could see Cameron laughing with Sam and Sophie. Her smile was huge laughing a picture that Sophie had just painted.

All of a sudden the bells and whistles began to go off behind him. Running back into the room, Chase hit the emergency call button.

Joe was going into cardiac arrest.

* * *

House found Cameron curled up with Sam and Sophie in the chairs in the waiting room. After going to cardiac arrest, Chase had rightly decided that no matter what the lump was it needed to be removed as it was growing and beginning to block Joe's airways. Still in surgery, everyone was waiting on pins and needles hoping that there was no permanent damage.

Lifting up his stick House poked Cameron awake. Shielding herself, she glared up at him, "What is it?"

"Chase is in surgery and Foreman is still running tests. I got bored with no one to torture."

Getting up Cameron straightened her white lab coat, "What do you need me to do?"

Turning to walk down the hallway House made Cameron follow him, they walked in silence for about 50 metres before he turned to her. "That was a really stupid thing to do."

Cameron continued to look ahead, "I wondered when you were going to yell at me about it."

"Planning a future with a guy that had none? You knew he was terminal when you married him!"

She wasn't going to apologize for the decisions she made, "Sometimes people go into remission. Sometimes tumours just shrink. And some times when you are 21 you fall madly in love."

Cameron was always surprised at how quiet hospitals were at night, walking up a down the corridors all she could hear was the rhythmic "thump" of House's cane. After processing what she had just said, House changed topics, "Speaking about love, you are going to have to make up you mind about Robert."

Cameron stopped walking exasperated at House's prying, "You too!! Cuddy has already had this chat with me. I'm not going to get hurt, it's just sex."

House turned toward her, glaring her straight, his blue eyes bright in the dim half-light, "I know you are not going to get hurt, because it is not you that I am talking about."

Cameron was about to open her mouth in response when Foreman's shout pierced that darkness, "HOUSE!!!"

He ran towards them panting, "I have been looking all over for you!. He clutched a print-out in his hands, "You were right, it was allergies. Two working together at the same was caused the weird results. I was able to separate them this time – one caused the lump and the second the pain"

House glanced at the print-out and muttered, "The guy's allergic to his kid's play paint!"

* * *

Chase straddled the wooden bench in the changeroom, just sitting in his scrubs. Surgery always drained him, it was an amazing adrenaline rush when you were in the operating room, fighting to keep someone alive, but afterwards the crash could be brutal.

"You okay?" Chase was surprised by Cameron's voice. She was leaning against the doorframe in the darkness. He wondered how long she had been there just watching him.

Rolling his head on his shoulders, he nodded, "Yeah, and Joe is going to be okay as well. The lump was just this odd benign tumour that had started growing as a result of his allergic reaction. What was he doing, drinking the kid's paint?"

Cameron walked toward him and then sat behind him on the bench. Reaching up she began to massage the muscles in his neck, "Joe wasn't always the swiftest sometimes. He accidentally set some it on fire and then breathed it in…"

Chase laughed; he liked Joe but could see the man be a bit of walking disaster in the real world. He leaned into the massage, it felt amazing. "I am sorry I wasn't more of a help today sorting through your stuff."

Cameron's hands stopped and she rested her head on his back, "It's fine and you were there when I really needed you that other night."

Turning toward her, Chase looked her right into her eyes, "I don't have a limp. And I'm not dying. We not bonding over some painful experience either. It's not that I don't have issues, I have lots of them. I just sorted them out before I met you. So, while I don't need to you to fix me, that doesn't mean that I don't need you. And I want you to need me."

Cameron looked stunned for a moment, and started speaking as if she wasn't sure where the words were coming from, "I don't know what will happen if I get the chance to lean on someone else."

"Give it a try Allison."

She answer was out of her lips before she knew what she was saying, "I would really like to, Robert."

* * *

The funny thing about falling in love with someone is that you don't even realise it is happening. You see them everyday for weeks, months, even years and they have no effect on you. But one day you wake up and you see them and your pulse races, your stomach goes queasy and you forget how to move.

Cameron had thought that she was completely insensitive to Chase, but she had been steamrolled...


End file.
